Foldable information apparatus

Abstract

A foldable information apparatus includes an upper unit having a display, a lower unit having operation keys, a biaxial hinge connecting the upper unit and the lower unit allowing the upper unit to be freely opened, closed, and rotated with respect to the lower unit, and an optical section provided on the top end portion of the biaxial hinge. The optical section includes at least one of a LED and a camera. The top end portion of the biaxial hinge is always exposed in the opened, closed and rotated states of the upper and lower units.

1. A foldable information apparatus comprising:
 a first unit having a side with a display section; 
 a second unit having a side with an operation section; 
 a movable connecting mechanism connecting the first unit and the second unit so as to allow the first unit to be freely opened, closed and rotated with respect to the second unit while exposing a top surface of the movable connecting mechanism, the rotation of the first unit with respect to the second unit being in planes parallel to planes in which the second unit is located; and 
 an optical section provided on the top surface of the movable connecting mechanism, the optical section comprising a camera having an optical axis extending to the same side of said second unit as said operating section side of the second unit. 
 
   
   
     2. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical section further comprises a light-emitting section. 
   
   
     3. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable connecting mechanism is a biaxial hinge which connects the first unit to the second unit so that the first unit is allowed to be opened and closed and rotated freely,
 wherein the biaxial hinge comprises: 
 a first rotation axis securely and rotatably provided on an operation surface of the second unit in vicinity of one end thereof, the first rotation axis protruding approximately vertically from the operation surface; and 
 a second rotation axis orthogonal to the first rotation axis and provided in vicinity of a front end of the first rotation axis to axially and rotatably support the first unit, 
 wherein the optical section is fixed to the top surface of the first rotation axis. 
 
   
   
     4. A foldable information apparatus comprising:
 a first unit having a side with a display section; 
 a second unit having a side with an operation section; 
 a biaxial hinge for connecting the first unit and the second unit so that the first unit and the second unit are relatively rotated on a first rotation axis, the relative rotation of the first and second unit being such that the relative rotation occurs in parallel planes, and freely opened and closed on a second rotation axis, wherein a top surface at an end of the first rotation axis is exposed in at least an open state, a closed state and a rotated state; and 
 an optical section provided on the top surface. 
 
   
   
     5. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the first unit has a cut-away portion formed corresponding to the top surface so that the top surface is not covered with the first unit. 
   
   
     6. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the optical section comprises a case accommodating at least one of a light-emitting section or a camera section. 
   
   
     7. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the light-emitting section comprises:
 a light-emitting device for emitting light; and 
 an optically transparent section exposed on an outer top surface of the case, for transmitting the light outward. 
 
   
   
     8. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the camera section comprises:
 an image capturing device; 
 an image forming lens for forming an image on the image capturing device; and 
 an optically transparent plate exposed on an outer top surface of the case, for receiving outside light to transmit it to the image forming lens. 
 
   
   
     9. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein an optical axis of the camera section extends in a direction of the first rotation axis. 
   
   
     10. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the case accommodates the light-emitting section and the camera section, wherein a light receiving portion of the camera section is provided at a center of a top surface of the case and a light emitting portion of the light-emitting section is provided off-center on the top surface of the case. 
   
   
     11. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the first unit further comprises a secondary operation section on the side thereof, wherein the secondary operation section is used to operate the camera section. 
   
   
     12. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the case accommodating the camera section is rotated synchronous with rotation of the first unit. 
   
   
     13. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein, when the first unit and the second unit are relatively rotated to form an angle of 90 degrees, a horizontally oriented image captured by the camera section is displayed on the display section that is horizontally oriented. 
   
   
     14. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the horizontally oriented image is converted into a vertically oriented image before being stored into a memory. 
   
   
     15. The foldable information apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the horizontally oriented image is converted into a vertically oriented image before being transmitted.